Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State COVID-19 Palliative Distribution Committee has insisted that nobody including its members could hijack the foodstuffs meant for the less privileged persons in the state.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, on a live television broadcast, said based on the composition of the committee there was no chance of anyone diverting the palliatives.
He said conscious and strategic measures had been put in place to ensure that palliatives got to the beneficiaries in the 23 local government areas.
Nsirim in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Soibi Max-Alalibo, said the committee had ensured effective monitoring of the distribution.
He said: “We, the committee, has ensured that monitoring is effective. So, we challenge anybody who has evidence that these materials (foodstuffs) were hijacked to get it to us. We’ll investigate and take appropriate action.
“Right now, what we’re dealing with is hearsay, and, of course, you know that hearsays are neither here nor there”, he said.
“Part of the measures taken to forestall any attempt to hijack the foodstuffs, and for it to get to those it was meant for is the fact that besides the 24-man Palliative Committee that was appointed by the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the Committee hands over the foodstuffs to notable persons at the Ward levels of each LGA.
“When the issue of palliatives came up, the committee he (Governor Wike) set up was drawn from critical stakeholders. At the inauguration of the Committee, because it’s a grassroots Committee, he set out the criteria. He said these palliatives will be for the vulnerable, and that has to do with the aged, widows, those who cannot afford anything within this period. He also said this is not for partisan interest, it’s not for tribal interest. The criteria for this committee was clearly spelt out”.
He said the Chairman of the distribution committee, Desmond Akawor, laid down workable procedure to ensure the realization of governor’s directives.
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He said: “When we had the inaugural meeting, he (Akawor) ensured that the committee set up a kind of community-based approach to the distribution of the palliatives.
“The way it is run, for every ward, those who receive the palliatives from the committee include a traditional ruler, a religious leader, a woman leader, a youth leader, Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), and the councillor of the ward”.
“When the palliatives get to the ward, a member of the central working committee supervised by Ambassador Akowor, supervises the distribution of the food items. The supervisory role of the central committee also happens at the ward level”.
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